The three cases, confirmed earlier in the day by the health ministry, are from the same household in South Auckland. All the patients are currently in quarantine.

"As of 11:59 p.m. tonight, Sunday February 14, Auckland will move to [Alert] Level 3 for a period of three days until midnight on Wednesday. The rest of New Zealand will move to Level 2 for the same period of time," Ardern told reporters, adding that the decision will be reviewed on a 24-hour basis.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic, the country has confirmed a total of 2,330 cases, including 2,258 recoveries and 25 fatalities. There are currently 47 active cases in New Zealand.